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"The drastic cuts to the fire and rescue service in the last eight years, with 11,000 firefighter jobs gone, means there is no doubt that responses to such incidents are being compromised.

"At the government's own admission, response times to fires and other rescues are their slowest now than at any time in the last two decades.

"Also concerning is the fact that these cuts mean that fewer firefighters are not able to do the same amount of critical educational work with young people to highlight the damage that this sort of antisocial behaviour does to communities, and the obvious risks to life and property.

"Punitive measures against offenders alone are not the answer - we need a fully funded fire and rescue service to combat this growing problem."